Your favourite 'fuss free plants'

[Laurasanford789]

Hi all

I have a garden that I'm still adding to. I already have a lot of cottage style plants as that's what I love, hardy geranium, Nepeta, agastache, foxgloves, alchemila mollis etc. I grow annuals for cut flowers but I'm mainly looking for any additional perennial plants that you would recommend, that you plant them and don't have to do much with... I lean towards pastels more than tropical and I have roses already, garden has good soil, is south facing so they have to be drought tolerant, any recommendations of things you have you'd love to share id be greatful ☺️

Purple toadflax. Short-lived perennial but happily seeds itself here and there. Not fussy about location. Can occasionally grow up to a metre tall. It is native to the UK but there is a cultivated pink variety called Canon Went which is also very pretty. Purple ones were already here in this garden when I moved in 40 years ago and their descendants are still happily going strong. They sometimes produce a pink one all on their own. They are also the food plant of the Toadflax brocade moth, which is relatively uncommon. The caterpillars are large and rather spectacular.

Verbena?

Daphne

Hellebores, whack them in and let them get on with it. One of the few things that will grow in my heavily shaded clay garden!

In the one raised bed sunny patch I have peonies and dicentra - both easy peasy and come again every year beautifully.

I agree and though you were speaking to me. Lovely winter interest.

😂 I hadn't even spotted your name! Excellent taste in plants from both of us, clearly!

Erysimum Bowles mauve
lavatera Barnsley
Japanese anemones

Wallflowers- they're so pretty and smell wonderful and you never have to do anything to them.

Lychnis coronaria - short lived but self seeds everywhere - in a good way.
Erigeron Karvinskikarus (sp?) lovely and self seeds.
Achillea
Knautia
Verbena lollipop and Bonanseries

So many but geraniums (cranesbill) are great for ground cover, even under trees.

This is my money tree, it was only 3 inches tall when my Mum gave it to me. It's my only plant success. Doesn't require a lot of care.

They don’t fit in well with pastels but salvia hot lips seem to thrive in any conditions and with any amount of neglect. Mine have flowered well into November for the past couple of years. A bit of me still hates when for being quite garish but I love them for being such a solid performer and they cheer me up on a late autumn morning

Campanula, the lacy hydrangeas, deutzia and lavatera. Lots of flowers, tough as old boots, look after themselves.

The easiest and cheapest plant I have ever grown is nasturtium Cherry Rose. A beautiful bright pink flower on trailing greenery.

Literally just seeds in the ground and water for fabulous colour.

Plus you can keep the new seeds for the following year so one little packet costing a few pounds is all you ever need.

Exactly what I was going to suggest! I love these!

Achillea
sedum
wallflowers
verbena
viburnum
camellia
penstemon
geum
lavender
borage
Clematis
hydrangea
verbascum
hollyhock
vinca
monarda
fuchsia
buddleia - lots of mini versions available now

If your soil drains properly:
dahlias - I mulch and leave them in.
echinacea

Astrantia are great cottage garden perennials, along with Persicaria. Both have several varieties.

Salvias- come in lots of colours, low maintenance just a trim in the spring, cope with drought, flower for ages no deadheading.
verbena boniensaris - tall and willowy again copes with dry conditions. Self seeds.
foxgloves
lavatera
hollyhocks etc

Thanks all so much for your replies I am going to sit and have a read through them all now 😊

Literally just planted some as three for £5 in asda if anybody needs any. My local fairly small asda always has good fresh plants.......lupins, they come back year after year and very 'cottage garden' 🌷🌾🌺

Another vote for salvia, especially hot lips. So pretty and stays colourful for so long.

I love lupins but the slugs love them even more. Have yet to have any survive!

Geranium Rozanne blue flowers all summer

Coronilla glauca ‘citrina’ Smells lovely, flowers a good few months of the year esp over winter/spring.
I like a lot of different kinds of salvia, v useful if it gets very hot and dry.
Sweet Williams and campanula

Same! Even when I've bought fairly decent sized plants they never even made it to flowering because the slugs killed them immediately.